While Klaus and Anna were chatting, the group of women in elegant clothes walked into the room. All sorts of luxurious items were attached to their bodies; pearl necklaces, fur coats, and even diamond rings on their ten fingers.
An exotic-skinned woman clad in a black dress made a small run towards Anna, her two massive breasts bounced as she drew close to Anna.
"Julia!" Anna exclaimed.
"Anna darling!"
Those two women seemed close, like friends who had not seen each other for a long time. As they hugged and chatted, some of the other women looked around the room, their skeptical eyes telling what they were thinking.
Klaus remained silent, observing them from the corner of the room.
"Anna! Why did you ask us to come to this place. Don't tell me you want to open a boutique here."
Anna waved her arms. "Of course not. This building belongs to my son."
"Uh, really?"
Julia raised both eyebrows when she saw Klaus standing in the corner of the room. The black-haired woman did not realize his existence until she saw him. She went over to him and poked his cheeks as if he was an eight-year-old child, while he could only grimace in annoyance.
"Oh, Klaus! You've grown up! Last time I remember you liked to hide behind your mom."
"Haha." Klaus was sure that Julia had mistaken him for another child, but he responded anyway.
The name was Julia Winston. She was a businesswoman from England. However, since the countries in Europe collapsed, she and her daughter moved to the US.
Klaus and the rich woman chatted for a while, making boring small talk, and Anna chatted with other socialite women.
"So your son wants to meet us, Anna?"
"I hope it's something important. I've got business."
"Come on, don't be hard on that boy. He's still green, he needs some experience."
The socialite women began to complain about being in this place, some of them looking like they couldn't bear to leave. Anna tried to get them to stay before Klaus started talking about business.
Klaus understood the atmosphere and quickly took the control.
"All right then," he said. "I don't want to waste your precious time. We'd better get this meeting started."
Julia and those women began to open their ears wide, ready to listen to the owner of the building.
"As you know, SoHo used to be a top notch shopping center. But look at it now."
South of Houston was the trendy center of Lower Manhattan; designer boutiques, luxury stores, and art galleries were the destination places for out-of-town visitors. But that was then.
This neighborhood was not spared from being targeted by monsters when the dungeon first appeared seventeen years ago. Artistic buildings were reduced to rubble and ashes. The government tried to rebuild it, but they failed to manage it. In the end, SoHo became an ordinary residential area.
"If you already know this place isn't what it used to be, then why did you ask us to meet here?"
"What else in a small and pathetic building like this."
Hearing the socialite women's blunt remarks, Klaus just chuckled, while Anna seemed to be holding back her annoyance with a smile. She was the one who chose this place for Klaus anyway.
"I invited you here to discuss the future. I'm going to revive SoHo," he said.
They were skeptical after hearing his words. Whispers echoed in the room like flies, some were heard laughing, some looked interested.
"Are you sure about that?" Juliana spoke up amidst the noise. "You're not the first person who's tried to revive SoHo. They tried to make it what it used to be, but they failed before they even started. This neighborhood isn't the same anymore. What makes you different from them?"
Several socialites nodded their heads, they seemed to agree with Julia, while Klaus smiled as if he had been waiting for this question.
"The reason this area can't be what it used to be isn't because it doesn't have any charm, but consumers are no longer interested in luxurious goods. Take a look at yourselves."
The socialites looked at themselves. The luxurious items attached to their bodies all came from the dungeon. Pearl necklaces made from monster shells, coats made from direwolf fur, leather bags made from lizardman skin.
Those items were not only valuable, but also had special effects. The direwolf fur coat that had high resistance to cold temperatures or pearls from monster shells made the wearer look more charming.
"We will fail if we turn this place into a fashion district. People aren't interested in branded goods anymore, and you don't even wear products made from earth materials."
As Klaus approached a window at the side of the room, he spread out one of his hands, and the socialite womens looked on curiously.
"I'm not saying I'm going to revive SoHo like the old SoHo.I will turn this neighborhood into a market place. The place where awakeners gather to buy and sell dungeon items."
After that, Klaus began to tell them about his vision and mission, and they seemed to listen seriously, although some of them seemed skeptical.
"Since you are my mother's friends, I will give you the opportunity to be the first to start a business in the new SoHo, with me. We will build the economy together."
They took Klaus' words seriously, they whispered and discussed with each other.
Klaus smiled at the scene before him.
He had gathered these rich women to lobby investors. The funds from his father were large, but it was already planned for Mors Industries. Klaus needed more funds to build the guild, to rule the SoHo.
Besides, to build a large business empire, he needed extensive relations. These socialite women would be his first stepping stone. They were easier to convince than a businessman who already had a lot of experience.
However, his plan was not as smooth as he thought.
"Your plan is good, but we need proof."
"That's right. You're still young, son. We've met a lot of people like you, but they end up taking our money."
Two socialite women doubted Klaus, and as a result the others were swayed too.
"Hey! You mean my son is a swindler? He scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT's exam!"
Anna was furious, scolding the two socialite women, and they just looked away.
These socialite women became even more hesitant to invest their money in Klaus.
However, this was not the end.
"Interesting. I will join your project, Klaus."
Julia casually said so, and the women were surprised to hear it. Anna smiled widely after her best friend joined her son's project.
The exotic-skinned woman drew close to Klaus, holding his shoulders.
"I know you don't trust him because he's still young. But come on, you're spending money just to buy those shiny things."
Julia pointed at their jewelry and bags.
"If I were you, I'd spend my money on the future, and Klaus has it. If he succeeds, you will also benefit. It's not your money after all. How long do you want to be belittled by your husbands?"
Some socialites seemed offended, only a few of whom were entrepreneurs or businesswomen.
A woman spoke up. "So what if after we invest, Klaus fails in his project. Will you take responsibility?"
Julia snorted, laughing a little. "We're investing, not saving. If you don't want to earn money without spending it, you should work."
That woman blushed with embarrassment.
Whispers echoed in the room again. Thanks to Julia, the socialite women changed their minds.
Klaus smiled with satisfaction.
After that, they made a decision, they agreed to invest their money. Of course, not all agreed, some of them chose not to join Klaus' project.
"Well, thank you for taking your time for me," Klaus said. "I look forward to working with you in the future."
The meeting over, they left. Three people remained in the room, Julia, Anna, and Klaus.
"Thank you, Julia, you helped us to convince them. Hzzz, that idiot Michele pisses me off. She's blind, doesn't see my son's potential."
"Ah, it's nothing. You've helped me a lot too."
The two friends embraced, and then Julia turned her attention to Klaus.
"Klaus, I look forward to your future projects. I mean it." The busty woman patted Klaus on the cheek.
"I will do my best."
"I wish my daughter had your vision." Julia sighed. "She prefers to be an awakener instead. I don't understand her thoughts."
Afterward, Anna escorted Julia out.
Klaus walked in front of the window, looking at the rows of buildings stretching out under the blue sky.
He saw the future of the city.
